Control system, integrated control apparatus, and control program

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a control system, an integrated control apparatus, and a control program that are capable of well maintaining freshness and quality of food articles, by reducing time for performing a recovery operation following a frost removing operation of cooling devices. In response to a start of the frost removing operation of a first showcase, an integrated control apparatus provides a second device controller (device control unit) with a “lower limit cooling instruction (increase instruction)” to increase the refrigerant supplied to a second showcase to an amount larger than that before the frost removing operation starts. In response to the “lower limit cooling instruction (increase instruction),” the second device controller (device control unit) increases the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second showcase.

1. A control system comprising
 a first cooling device configured to cool a first cooled space; 
 a second cooling device configured to cool a second cooled space; 
 a refrigerant supplying device configured to supply a refrigerant to the first cooling device and the second cooling device; 
 an integrated control apparatus configured to detect or control a frost removing operation for removing frost attached to the first cooling device; and 
 a device control unit configured to control an amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, wherein 
 the integrated control apparatus includes a transmitter for transmitting an increase instruction to the device control unit in response to a start of the frost removing operation, the increase instruction instructing the device control unit to increase the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, to an amount larger than that before the frost removing operation starts, and 
 the device control unit increases the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, according to the increase instruction. 
 
     
     
       2. The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in response to an end of the frost removing operation, the transmitter transmits a decrease instruction to the device control unit, the decrease instruction instructing the device control unit to decrease the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, to an amount smaller than that before the frost removing operation ends, and 
 the device control unit reduces the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, according to the decrease instruction. 
 
     
     
       3. The control system according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a valve capable of adjusting the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, wherein 
 the device control unit controls an aperture ratio of the valve according to the instruction. 
 
     
     
       4. The control system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the instruction includes temperature information indicating a set temperature in the second cooled space, and 
 the device control unit controls the aperture ratio of the valve according to the temperature information. 
 
     
     
       5. The control system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the device control unit computes the aperture ratio on the basis of an opening area of the valve. 
 
     
     
       6. The control system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the device control unit computes the aperture ratio on the basis of opening time per unit time of the valve. 
 
     
     
       7. The control system according to  claim 2 , comprising
 a third cooling device configured to cool a third cooled space; and 
 an another device control unit configured to control an amount of the refrigerant supplied to the third cooing device, wherein 
 when a temperature in the second cooled space reaches a predetermined temperature, the transmitter transmits an decrease instruction to the another device control unit, the decrease instruction instructing the another device control unit to decrease the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the third cooling device, and 
 the another device control unit decreases the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the third cooling device, according to the decrease instruction to decrease the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the third cooling device. 
 
     
     
       8. The control system according to  claim 1 , comprising
 a plurality of cooling devices that include the second cooling device and that are configured to respectively cool a plurality of cooled spaces including the second cooled space, wherein 
 the integrated control apparatus further includes a selector for selecting, from the plurality of cooling devices, the second cooling device as a cooling device having relatively high thermal stability under a condition with a decreased amount of the refrigerant supplied. 
 
     
     
       9. The control system according to  claim 8 , wherein
 in response to an end of the frost removing operation, the transmitter transmits a decrease instruction to the device control unit, the decrease instruction instructing the device control unit to decrease the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, to an amount smaller than that before the frost removing operation, and 
 the device control unit decreases the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, according to the decrease instruction. 
 
     
     
       10. The control system according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the integrated control apparatus includes a measurement unit configured to measure a time required for temperature rise for each of the plurality of cooling devices, the time required for temperature rise being time required to raise a temperature in each of the plurality of cooled spaces from a lower limit temperature to an upper limit temperature, the lower and upper limit temperatures being specified for each of the plurality of cooled spaces, and 
 the selector selects a cooling device having the time required for temperature rise that is relatively long, as the second cooling device. 
 
     
     
       11. The control system according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the integrated control apparatus includes a memory unit configured to store, for each of the plurality of cooling devices, an ambient temperature and the time required for temperature rise in association with each other, the ambient temperature being obtained when the time required for temperature rise is measured, and 
 the selector makes a selection from the plurality of cooling devices on the basis of their respective times required for temperature rise that are associated with the ambient temperatures at a time of start of the frost removing operation, and thus selects as the second cooling device a cooling device having the relatively long time required for temperature rise. 
 
     
     
       12. The control system according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the selector computes the thermal stability of each of the plurality of cooling devices, on the basis of the turnover quantity of articles displayed in each of the plurality of cooled spaces. 
 
     
     
       13. The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the selector includes a memory unit in which the second cooling device is registered, and 
 the selector selects the second cooling device registered in the memory unit, as a target to transmit the increase instruction during a frost removing operation of next time. 
 
     
     
       14. An integrated control apparatus configured to detect or control a frost removing operation in which frost attached to a first cooling device that cools a first cooled space is removed while the first cooled space is receiving supply of refrigerant from a refrigerant supplying device that supplies the refrigerant to a second cooling device that cools a second cooled space,
 the integrated control apparatus comprising a transmitter configured to provide a device control unit with an increase instruction in response to start of the frost removing operation, the device control unit configured to control an amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, the increase instruction instructing the device control unit to increase the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, to an amount larger than that before the frost removing operation starts. 
 
     
     
       15. The integrated control apparatus according to  claim 14  comprising a selector configured to select the second cooling device as a cooling device having relatively high thermal stability under a condition with a decreased amount of the refrigerant supplied, from a plurality of cooling devices that include the second cooling device and that are configured to respectively cool a plurality of cooled spaces including the second cooled space. 
     
     
       16. A control program used in
 a computer functioning as an integrated control apparatus configured to detect or control a frost removing operation in which frost attached to a first cooling device that cools a first cooled space is removed while the first cooled space is receiving supply of refrigerant from a refrigerant supplying device that supplies the refrigerant to a second cooling device that cools a second cooled space, 
 the control program causing the computer to execute an instruction step in response to a start of the frost removing operation, the instruction step comprising issuing an increase instruction to a device control unit configured to control an amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, the increase instruction instructing the device control unit to increase the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooling device, to an amount larger than that before the frost removing operation starts. 
 
     
     
       17. The control program according to  claim 16 , the program further causing the computer to execute a selection step prior to the instruction step, the selection step comprising selecting the second cooling device as a cooling device having relatively high thermal stability under a condition with a decreased amount of the refrigerant supplied, from a plurality of cooling devices that include the second cooling device and that are configured to respectively cool a plurality of cooled spaces including the second cooled space.